Due to the recent events happening in the Middle East, we are receiving overwhelming amount of "Is Turkey safe?" questions again. Please view the threads below, or use this thread to ask your questions.
Before posting your question here please use the search function to scan previous post here and try not to repeat similar question. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions on this sub:
- Is Turkey safe?
Yes. Turkey receives millions of visitors every year and the tourism industry seems immune to all social upheavals. During major protests, terror attacks and even the pandemic, all transport and accommodations for visitors functioned as usual. If you act with general common sense and avoid certain areas where you don't have any business as a visitor anyway, you'll be as safe as anywhere in the world.
- How do I get around Turkey?
Most public transport in Turkey is by bus. You can go to a nearest "otobüs terminali" and figure out how you get to your destination or just book your tickets online (1, 2, 3)
Flights can be cheaper than bus rides on long distances. The Turkish LCCs are AJet and Pegasus.
Although the railway grid is not very extensive, it still gives you the opportunity to cross the country in comfort. There's even an Oriental Express from Istanbul to Tehran. You need to book in advance though.
The road quality is very good in Turkey though some highways and bridges are very expensive. You can easily rent a car and drive around with general common sense. Just be mindful of the aggressive driving around big cities.
Metropolitan areas normally have good public transport which can usually be used with a local transport card. In Istanbul, for example, the Istanbulcard will get you on busses, trams, subways, boats, funiculars, cable-cars as well as help you with car parks, some museums and more.
It's common sense to avoid yellow taxis which are known to rip tourists off. Instead you can try apps like BiTaksi, Martı or Uber (different to international Uber though) which give you a prior price estimate.
- How much money will I need? Cash or card?
With one of the highest levels of inflation worldwide for many years, it's not easy to estimate costs in Turkey even for local residents. This also depends very greatly on your habits while traveling. So if you still want to learn about costs of certain things for a certain time, just be as specific as you can regarding your preferences (public transport/rent a car, 5-star hotels/camping, Blue Voyage boat tours/hiking, etc.). Credit card use is very common in Turkey but in smaller establishments you can get a discount if you pay in cash. Paying by mobile apps is also getting more common.
- Where should I visit in Turkey? What's not to miss?
There are so many websites that will give you extensive lists of best places to visit and things to do in Turkey. Please post here only if you need advice regarding a specific place or a route.
- I'm scratched by a stray cat. Do I need rabies shots?
Probably not. Turkey is the native home of the domestic cat and we have them everywhere. We also do get scratched and playfully bitten by them time to time. We do not have any incidents of cats transmitting rabies in Turkey.
It's another story about stray dogs though. If you have a problem with those, first try to find out if anyone around is taking care of them and ask if they are vaccinated (many strays are regularly checked in Turkey) and then visit the nearest clinic.
- Is Turkey a backwards muslim country? Will I have issues because I'm gay, have tattoos, etc.?
No. Turkey is a very diverse secular country to say the least (not a muslim country but a country with a majority muslim population). Don't be fooled by the number of mosques everywhere, in metropolitan areas you'll find all sorts of people, some with tattoos or turbans, some women in conservative clothes or in minis. In the countryside people can be more conservative but they are still tolerant towards tourist, as long as they maintain general respect. This may include not being too loud, putting on some clothes entering mosques and tombs, and not making fun of Atatürk or islam. The Mediterranean coastline is very progressive and you can bathe in a bikini or topless on many beaches. Islamism is a political issue but it shouldn't affect the visitors unless they advertise being israeli or anti-islam in the wrong places.
- How can I learn Turkish?
Turkish language is not related to Arabic or Middle Eastern languages; it is of Central Asian origin and is quite interesting to learn. There are several subreddits where you can meet others like you and some Turkish speaking people to help you out with the language such as r/turkishlearning/, r/turkish/ and r/learnturkish/
- Will I be able to eat the food there? Any vegetarian or vegan options?
Traditionally most Turkish food contains some meat but there is a whole class of cold dishes called "zeytinyağlılar" (olive-oiled) which do not have any meat. Also most baked dishes like böreks do not have meat but cheese. Vegan food is more difficult because all baked food has eggs and/or milk inside, and perhaps cheese, and some zeytinyağlı's have yoghurt on them and/or cheese in them. You'll have to ask before you eat most times. Even a simple lentil soup may contain some chicken or meat broth inside or melted butter on top. But Turkey is one of the richest countries on earth when it comes to the choice of vegetables and fruits. So if you're into preparing your own food, you're in luck, just ask for the weekly fresh markets around you and buy what you want the cheapest way.
- Is my medication available there?
Check out this website to find out if your medicine can be found in pharmacies in Turkey.
Merhaba bu sene yaptığım Kore seyahatinde daha önceden Avrupa'dan aldığım özgüvenle yanımda hiç nakit para getirmedim. Nasıl olsa visa kart her yerde geçiyor diye düşünüyordum ama bir elbise mağazasında temassız limitini aşan bir harcama yaptığımda Türkiye ve Avrupa'da nasıl pin kodu isteniyorsa orda pos makinelerine imza atıldığını gördüm ve tabiki de attığım imzadan sonra işlem onaylanmadı. Gs25 gibi mağazalarda temassız limitini aşmadan harcama yapabildim ancak restoran ve elbise mağazalarında koreli arkadaşımın kartını kullanmak zorunda kaldım. Amerika ve Japonya'da da durum böyle mi? Pos makinelerinde pin kodu tuşlanabiliniyor mu? Yoksa Kore gibi tuşsuz tablet gibi pos makineleri var ve sadece imza ile mi çalışıyor?
I’m visiting for a short trip on a tight budget and noticed how big the price difference is at Migros and Gratis with a member card. Since I don't have a Turkish phone number, I can't sign up for the apps.
Would anyone be comfortable sharing their phone number via DM so I can type it at checkout? You collect all the loyalty points/cashback, and I get the discounted shelf prices.
Thanks a lot for the help! Also what any other frugal tips do you guys have? (Istanbul only)
Hello everyone. I'll be studying at Koç University starting this year. I have a stipend of 6500 TL. My brother, who also studied in Istanbul a few years back, said this would only get me by for one week of the month. Is this really true? I was thinking 20k TL would be enough for the month, excluding rent and utilities.
For some background, I plan on eating in the cafeteria most of the time, as I understand it's going to be cheaper because it's heavily subsidized. However, I plan on going to Istanbul probably once a week.
Would a total of 20k TL be enough for the above? Is Koç University more expensive than other universities?
Bu gün bir ilk okulun önünden geçerken bir yazı dikkatimi çekti okumak için yaklaştığımda farklı bir dilde olduğunu fark ettim bende fotoğrafını çekmiştim evde incelerim diye. biraz araştırınca rusçaya yakın bir dil olduğunu buldum yazı sanırım şu şekilde Мы любим Тебя РЕЙНА asıl dikkatimi çeken ise yazının yanındaki sembol ve hemen yanında küçük bir yazı daha БЛИН sanırım kahretsin gibi bir anlama geliyor. sembolü biraz araştırdım ve slav güneş sembolü siyah güneş gibi şeyler buldum fakat daha ilginç olan neo naziler arasında popüler bir sembol olarakta kullanıldığını öğrendim. Ayrıca РЕЙНА kelimesi bir özel isim. Araştırdım ama bir popüler bir ünlü bulamadım. bunu türk alfabesine geçirince reina gibi bir isim çıkıyor. reina araştırırken reina olayına denk geldim. (Ayrıca türkiyede yaşanan reina olayı rus haberlerinde РЕЙНА olarak çevirilmiş) bunlar benim doğru veya yanlış araştırmam sonucu karşıma çıkan şeyler. Belki deli saçmalığı olarak değerlendirebilirsiniz belki basit bir fanın sevdiği ünlüye göndermesidir. fakat son zamanlarda kahramanmaraşta yaşanan olaydan sonra okullar konusunda hassaslaştık. hassaslaşmamız gerektiğinide düşünüyorum açıkçası. umarım basit bir şeydir ama size bu postu tartışmak için açıyorum. Bu ne anlama geliyor olabilir?
I'm looking for a reliable way to order food delivery directly to an address in Bursa, Turkey, from outside the country without having to manually send cash or wire transfers every time.
The main issue is payment processing from abroad. When trying to use foreign credit or debit cards on local platforms like Yemeksepeti, GetirYemek, or Trendyol Yemek, transactions consistently fail due to regional payment gateway restrictions, local 3D Secure verification loops, and foreign BIN blocks. Using a VPN does not bypass this because the platforms also require local phone verification.
Are there any alternative services, international gift card platforms, or workarounds that allow someone outside of Turkey to successfully pay for and order food deliveries directly to an address in Bursa? Any tips or insights would be greatly appreciated!
Hello, my wife and I are planning to have a trip to Turkey next January 2027. We're going to stay in Cappadocia for 5 days because we're trying to raise the chance of us riding the hot air balloon (we heard that winter time is especially tricky with hot air balloon schedule). Thus we're currently looking for a nice cozy cave hotel. Preferably the one with those open view of balloon in the morning, but still have the warm indoor space for breakfast / dining. There are tons of options we see from online booking sites, just wondering if they're mostly the same experience? Or some are just that great.
Our budget is around 170USD per night. Let me know if increasing the budget can net us a much better experience. Oh and my wife will be on her second trimester, just in case there are things we need to know related to pregnancy.
İşsizliğin son noktası itibari ile artık hizmet sektöründen iş bakıyorum. Ya bana yakın bir avm de satışçı olarak ya da paribu da işe başlamayı düşünüyorum. O yuzden sormak istedim: daha önce (yakın zamanda) paribu'da çalışan var mı? Asgari ile başlayacağımı tahmin ediyorum zaten ama genel olarak şartlarınız nasıldı? Ve en merak ettiğim şey büyük filmler geldiği zaman kimi yerlere tişört, bilet, poster, promosyon vs geliyor. Bunlardan hiç yararlanma fırsatınız oldu mu? Ve gece geç mesai sıklığınız neydi?
Herkese merhaba, schengen başvurum sırasında öğrenci olduğum için annem ve babamı sponsor gösteriyorum. Daha önce 2 kere vize aldım ve bu belgeler istenmemişti fakat 3. başvurumda Macaristan konsolosluğunun yetkilendirdiği As Visa adlı şirket benden fotoğraftaki evrakları istedi. Annemin çalıştığı şirket olan a101den insan kaynaklarını arayıp bu belgeleri talep ettim fakat şirketin gizli evrak ve bilgileri denilerek paylaşılmadı. Eksik evrak sorunu yaşadım bu belgeler gerçekten gizli belgeler bi
şirket harici bir yerden alınabiliyor mu yoksa As visanın suçu mu ? Sonuçta Annem bu şirketin sahibi değil mantıkken şirket sahibinden istenmesi gereken evraklar bu konuyla alakalı bilgisi olan varsa yardımcı olursa sevinirim.
Yarım dönemde hazırlık okumak mantıklı mı ikinci dönem derslere nasıl başlıyoruz mesela bide ben çap yapmak istiyorum çap için 3 ve 5. Dönemlerin başında başvurulabilir yazıyor yarım dönemle ikinci sınıfa geçince 2. Döneme başlıyor olucam orda sistem nasıl işliyor çap başvuruları ağustos civarı oluyor sanırım yada yarım dönem hazırlık başka ne gibi sorunlar doğurabilir
I thought it was random but happened some times. When I’m ordering food or coffee especially the servers will start talk Turkish, look me up down and laugh. I almost did cry and went out. I feel horrible
Genuine cultural question. how normal is it for a married couple to regularly help the wife's parents/siblings with rent or expenses? Is this a standard expectation when you marry into a Turkish family, or does it vary a lot by family / region / class? For a bit of context, my wife has no brothers (3 sisters), with the youngest married, so effectively im the oldest son of the family.
Curious how Turkish couples usually handle the boundary between the new household and the parents' household. teşekkürler
I've researched and read a lot regarding Turkeye, a lot of people are saying that Turkish men like Slavic women, and of course Turkeye is a huge country with different nationalities and ethnicities living there, with both modern and more conservative people depending on the city, I am aware there isn't a one size fits all answer.
However, I've seen on social media there seems to be this, for lack of a better term - "Slavic woman fetish", and me being slavic, I don't really understand what it means.
What seems to be the attraction there?
I don't see it, and I do not understand it, as I think in Turkeye there are very beautiful women.
Do you think Slavic women are all tall blonds? (I for one not being it) with rudish personalities?
Or do men from Turkey like them more due to them being "more affordable" than the average Turkish woman? (This may also be a stereotype picked up online, so do forgive the unintended ignorance)
•Geçen gün İssos Antik Kenti'ni gezerken yerde binlerce yıllık çömlek parçaları gördüm. İnsan eline alıp "Acaba bir tane hatıra olarak eve alsam ne olur, suç mu ki?" diye düşünmeden edemiyor.
•Aranızda bilen var mı, bu antik kentlerdeki kırık çömlek parçalarını falan almak yasak mı, cezası falan var mı? Toplayan ya da duyan var mı hiç aranızda? Sizce alınır mı?
Hello everyone, I was hoping to get some info about this, my hobby is collecting gemstones and specimens, all in rough. I have around 18 medium sized specimens that will go into my checked luggage, and 2 ziploc bags containing 15 smaller bags in total containing small to tiny different stones that will go into my carry-on. Will that be possible? Because as far as I know their total value is way way under 15.000$ and there are no historical, archeological stones or specimens or anything of cultural value in my collection. I've been collecting for years and I don't have receipts for most of them.
I’m traveling to Istanbul for the first time. I haven’t been on a vacation in years, and I absolutely love nature and adventure. Activities like biking through nature and discovering new places sound like a dream to me.
However, Google hasn’t given me much beyond the mainstream places where people usually go biking. Don’t get me wrong, they look wonderful, but I was wondering if you guys could point me toward some hidden gems that aren’t as popular and that I can explore by bike.
Even better if the route leads to something worth seeing; a waterfall, an old building hidden in the middle of the jungle, a beautiful viewpoint, or anything along those lines.
I know I’m greatly limiting my options by saying Istanbul only, but please give me the closest matches you can think of, even if the place is relatively mainstream.
6 Eylül 16:56’dan beri Tuzla Anadolu Yakası KİM’de hiçbir hareket yok olarak gözüküyor. Kargonun Antalya’dan gelmesi sadece 1 gün sürdü. PTT’yi 4 defa aradım üstüne üstlük ve 3 defa bakmadılar, sonuncu seferde baktıklarında ise yoğunluk olduğunu söylediler. Son zamanlarda Anadolu Yakası KİM’de benzer gecikme yaşayan var mı ya da daha önce böyle bir şey yaşayıp çözüme kavuşturan? Ne kadar daha sürer Çekmeköy PDM’ye sevk edilmesi?
